FBI treating ambush of Philly officer as terrorist attack

In this photo made on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016, an image of James B. Comey, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, center, addresses a news conference as David Hickton, United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, left, Scott S. Smith special agent in charge of the FBI's Pittsburgh Division, center left, Carol Casto, United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, and Bill Ihlenfeld, United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginiaand listen at the Martha Dixon FBI Field Office in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)(Photo: Keith Srakocic / AP)

PITTSBURGH — The FBI says it’s investigating the ambush shooting of a Philadelphia policeman as a terrorist attack.

FBI Director James Comey spoke briefly about the investigation Wednesday in Pittsburgh.

Police say Yeadon resident Edward Archer told them he was acting in the name of Islam when he opened fire on Officer Jesse Hartnett’s marked cruiser on Jan. 7 at a Philadelphia intersection. The officer was wounded.

Archer is charged with attempted murder but hasn’t entered a plea. His mother says he had been hearing voices and felt targeted by police.

Police say Archer pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

Comey says the Islamic State has been “crowd-sourcing terrorism.” He says it uses social media to encourage violence and its message “tends to resonate with troubled souls.”

An investigation into whether Archer had terror connections continues.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read or Share this story: https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/2016/01/14/fbi-treating-ambush-pittsburgh-officer-terrorist-attack/78785386/